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Two road workers killed in Highlands Ranch

Two road workers were killed in a crash at Broadway and C470, Nov. 20, 2012 (John Leyba, The Denver Post)

HIGHLANDS RANCH — Two road workers were killed Tuesday when a 74-year-old Nebraska man lost control of his Subaru at the intersection of C-470 and Broadway in Highlands Ranch.

Joseph Schwartz, 47, of Morrison and Jesus Villalobos, 27, of Brighton died at the scene.

The Colorado State Patrol identified the driver, who was taken to a hospital after the crash, as Thomas Garrity of Bellevue.

The crash happened about 11:55 a.m., said Nate Reid, a State Patrol spokesman.

Garrity's 2007 Tribeca Subaru was westbound on C-470 when he exited at Broadway and lost control, Reid said.

The Subaru ran up a grass embankment, about 50 feet, before quickly running back down the hill and hitting the two men, who were near the road at the edge of the grassy hillside.

The Subaru then hit a Honda Pilot that was heading north on Broadway.

Garrity and his 72-year-old female passenger were taken to Littleton Adventist Hospital to be treated for minor to moderate injuries. The driver of the Honda, a 39-year-old Highlands Ranch woman, was not injured.

Schwartz and Villalobos were part of a crew doing work on the underside of the C-470 bridge spanning Broadway.

South Broadway was closed in both directions from County Line Road to Dad Clark Drive during the crash investigation.

Preliminary indications are that alcohol was not involved in the crash. Investigators are working to determine why Garrity lost control.

About two hours after the incident, family members of the victims arrived at the scene.

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One woman, in her mid-20s, ran toward the construction zone. She dropped her purse and her hat fell from her head as she cried: "Where is he? Where is he?"

Troopers with the State Patrol intercepted the woman and she collapsed, crying.

A short time later, a second woman was escorted to the area.

Villalobos and Schwartz were employees of Concrete Works of Colorado Inc., a company spokesman confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

"It's tough, they were really great guys," said Dick Brasher, a company vice president.

Brasher described the work crew as a close-knit family.

The company, founded in 1978, has contracts throughout the metro area, according to its website.

Tuesday was the first time that Concrete Works employees died in a traffic crash.